Stump The Teacher

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

For the past several days my students have endured the new
Common Core State Standards aligned PARCC assessments. After administering and
proctoring for over 8 hours in three days, I have a few takeaways from this
high stakes test which we will do all over again in May. It would be very easy
to dissect all of the nuanced problems within the test but I thought I would
start with a generic overview of the good, the bad and the ugly. This is in
large part due to the fact I am not sure what I can or cannot say about the
test for fear of violating the consent form all staff had to sign. :)

The Good

I feel it fair to say the test itself presented little
overall difficulty for my students. They seemed to navigate the controls with
relative ease and many of them finished with ample time to spare in what I
would consider generous testing time frames. Many of the students reported they
enjoyed it better than the old “fill in the bubble with a number 2 pencil”
tests which were the predecessor. If I had to estimate the average student was
able to finish most of the tests in around 20 minutes despite being given
anywhere from 60-90 minutes for each test.

The Bad

The bad of the PARCC test is that we are using it all
together. Over the course of two tests (Performance Based and End of Year)
there is massive loss of instructional time. Depending on your level of
technology, the tests are taking schools weeks to administer. For schools
testing on devices, students and teachers are unable to use any technology
during these time frames due to the test monopolizing their use. What is
surprising is we are not using other nationally normed tests which take a
fraction of class time to administer and get feedback.

The Ugly

Another ugly of PARCC testing is really not specific to
PARCC at all but high stakes testing in general. Schools have pep rallies and
send home special instructions for the week of testing. Teachers and
administrators reach out to the community and ask for children to be well fed
and rested. They even go so far as to outlaw homework to keep the children’s
stress or anxiety levels low and therefore prepped for testing. Some will have
special parties and treats geared towards keeping kids positive and happy for
testing week. What is ugly about this to me, is why are we not doing these
things every day? Why do we put extra emphasis on the stress levels and health
of a child during testing week? What are we doing to engage with parents and
kids to promote positive health for kids regularly? Also, why do we have pep
rallies and other gimmicks to attempt to convince kids the tests actually
matter?

I realize a world without standardized testing may be as
possible as a world of hover boards and flux capacitors. However, what about
engaging in conversations about the health of kids more than during testing
week? Why not limit the testing time period to the absolute minimum? Let’s be
mindful of the amount of instructional timing lost and resources spent due to
testing. Is testing the worst thing we have in schools? Not by a long shot.
However, we can certainly look at the way in which it is used and make it
useful to students and learning rather than companies and politicians.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

When we start the journey of a teacher, nearly all of us had
the same goals in mind. We wanted to make a difference in the life of a child.
Some of us came into the profession wide-eyed and nervous while others came in
with a feeling of confidence or even a slight arrogance. However, all of us at
some point were humbled by something we were not quite prepared for. This
happens more often than not in our early years as a teacher. We realize the
possibility our college course work and teacher preparation program may not
have been as thorough as we would have liked or assumed it was. In most cases
we attempt to seek advice from those around us by way of our peers and fellow
teachers. Yet, a realization often comes over us as we begin to seek that help.
Many of the teachers we work with have entrenched views on education where
status quo and tradition reign supreme.

There are seven critical areas in which new(er) teachers
often struggle. These areas are classroom management, motivation, parents,
technology, initiatives, traditions, and professional growth. In addition to
new teachers, I often see veteran teachers struggle in these areas due to an
outdated or potentially engrained belief system. For example, student
motivation and the use of punishment and rewards is a largely unchallenged
bastion of schooling within most classrooms. Yet research done by many individuals,
including Daniel Pink, would suggest alternate ways in which to look at how we
motivate students.

To me one of the most critical elements of a teacher’s job
is that of classroom management, which is a topic that I have reflected on and
given great thought to.

I still remember when I had my classroom management binder
filled out with all of my classroom management strategies and rules for the
classroom. I probably brought that into my first interview to show off that I
knew I was going to be an expert classroom manager. All of those color-coded
tabs with rules, procedures, and everything that could possibly happen in my
future classroom. Then I got to the first day of school with thirty, junior
high kids in the room and I realized the binder was not worth the paper it had
been printed on. I started to realize all the cute little tricks and tips and
strategies I learned while in college were not the Golden Ticket to a
well-behaved classroom.

At some point in your career, hopefully it’s sooner rather
than later, you realize the fallacy of classroom management methods typically
taught to new teachers, many still used by veteran teachers.

The simple truth is you cannot make a child do something
they do not want to do.

You will have a student who will look you dead in the eye
when asked to do something and he will simply say, “No.” You will reply with,
“You better or else.” The student will look you back in the eye and answer, “Or
else what?” You will then realize there is no “or else” because you can’t force
him to do anything. Now this might seem like a shock because, as a new teacher,
you would hope that you have some power or authority in the classroom. However,
in my experience those teachers who feel they have that authority and power are
the ones who struggle the most. The moment you get into a power struggle as the
teacher in a classroom, you have already lost. If we don’t need traditional
classroom management techniques, then what do we need? How can you as a teacher
effectively manage a class of students? (Stumpenhorst, 2015)

Classroom management, along with the other six items, is a
critically important topic to reflect on and analyze if a teacher wants to stay
relevant and effective. My goal as a teacher is to always look for ways to
improve on the work I do every single day with students. Teachers who are
reflective about their practice are often the ones who evolve with their
students and are better suited to meet the needs of the learners in their
rooms. Regardless if you are looking at classroom management and motivation or
education traditions and initiatives, the most effective teachers are those
willing to take a critical look at their craft with the goal of continual
improvement. The dynamic of a classroom and what we know about learners is ever
changing. As a result, we need teachers ready to start a revolution of ideas
and meet the needs of these learners.

For more insights and content regarding Classroom Management as well as the other 6 critical areas to revolutionize your teaching check out The New Teacher Revolution.

Friday, January 16, 2015

In my heart I believe every single teacher went into the
profession with the intention of changing lives and inspiring kids. I truly
believe this because the alternative is too horrible to contemplate. Yet, every
single one of us can name a teacher or two in our building who seem to have
lost their desire to do amazing work with kids. On the surface you may think
these teachers are “sucky” but I think we are being a bit shortsighted and
missing the larger picture when it comes to less effective teachers. It is my
belief many teachers are simply experiencing symptoms of educational erosion.
Just as cliffs along a coastline erode and shrink, I too think teachers suffer
a similar fate. There are many variables, which impact the rate of this
erosion.

Water Pressure

Just as cliff sides around the world experience different
waves, storms, and tides, teachers have different pressures put on them as well.
These pressures come in the form of testing, evaluations, initiatives,
administrators, parents, legislation and the laundry list of things, which
ultimately stand in the way of teachers doing their jobs. While a teacher may
have stood tall on day one of their first year, the job and the stressors
eventually erode away the tough exterior.

The number of initiatives, programs, and new
responsibilities being placed on teachers is increasing to a monsoon level in
some schools. Teachers’ very fabric of being which they started their careers
with is being blasted out to sea.

Type of Rock

Cliffs can be comprised of different rocks determining the
erosion rate and the same can be said of teachers. Some teachers are
emotionally and mentally more prepared to withstand the years of teaching with its
onslaught of emotional and physical waves. The reality is, some teachers are
built differently and can handle all that is tossed at them. Yet, just as it is
with rock, they all have a breaking point.

The hardest rock can withstand the strongest Mother Nature
can throw its way. However, over time the rock changes and erodes into
something different. The inspired and passionate teacher from day one evolves
and erodes in the same manner. When you see a “sucky” teacher, stop and wonder
what they have experienced to make them the way they are. While this is in no
way supporting poor teachers, it is to say sometimes people have been beaten
down so much they can’t stand back up enough to return to that person they were
on their first day.

Supports

As a trail runner I see places where erosion is being
stemmed and even reversed through supports such as walls, barriers or other
assistive measures. Teachers need support to survive the waves of standards,
assessments, initiatives, meetings and everything else wearing them down. This
is not to say teachers are pathetic and can’t handle the rigors of teaching.
However, I fear we will have a generation of teachers leave the profession
because teaching itself is eroding into purely data management and assessments
rather than relationship building and learning as a joyful act. I have yet met
a teacher who says they are tired of teaching. Yet, they are tired of
everything else asked of them, which ultimately gets in the way of the job of
actually teaching.

Administrators who step up for their staff to push back and
protect them from the storms of our educational systems are to be commended.
They are the ones who can help stem the erosion of our teachers so as not to
lose them. In addition, fellow teachers need to be able to support one another
and help weather the storms cropping up seemingly more and more regularly.

Shelter

Just as harbors and bays provide shelter from the storms,
teachers too are seeking shelter. In some extreme cases, they seek shelter by
simply leaving the profession all together. The feelings of stress overwhelm
them to the point of exhaustion and they leave. It can be argued some of these
teachers should leave but I argue we are losing the good ones too.

Another shelter teachers are taking is through leaving for
positions of less accountability and pressure. Instead of teaching tested
subjects they head into the waters of electives and other roles where there is
shelter from high expectations in the form of rigid standards or high stakes
testing. This is not to say these teachers are hiding from accountability but
they need a space where they can interact with kids in a positive way without
the pressure and stressors looming over them brought on by over standardization
and testing.

The final shelter teachers are taking is holing up and
shutting down in their rooms altogether. They ignore the new initiatives and
everything new being asked of them. For them it is about survival and getting
through the day.

Educational erosion may be a made up idea but the reality is
teachers erode over time. Most if not all teachers walk into their first
teaching job with the best intentions and a good heart. Yet somewhere along the
way the system batters them into a shape or form almost unrecognizable to where
they started. We must be better to our teachers, especially our new ones, if
want them to withstand the weathering of a career in education. Erosion over
time can create smooth and polished masterpieces if it is controlled and
nurtured. However, if unprotected it will ravage and destroy all in its path.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

As many of you know I am a huge proponent of social media
use for educators. The potential positives for teachers and administrators
alike are boundless and I know my professional growth has been impacted greatly
through my use of social media. I have been able to gain countless resources to
pull into my practice as a classroom teacher, which has benefited my students.
In addition, I have been exposed to ideas and thoughts influencing the way I
think about and perform my duties as a teacher. On top of it all, I have made
countless connections with inspiring, friendly, helpful and even humorous individuals
around the globe. Every single one of these people has changed the way I look
at many aspects of my role as a teacher both from the good and the bad.

However, having said all of that, I feel as though there are
pieces to social media many people are aware of but seldom point out when
talking about it to new users. In fact, there is a pretty dirty underbelly to
social media worth mentioning and being made aware of.

For starters, there are bullies abound in the world and social
media is no exception. There will be a time when you will share something and
you will be bullied for what you share. It will come in the form of derogatory tweets
or negative comments on your post, picture or video. In some cases you may want
to write about something culturally, politically or racially charged.
Inevitably you will be harassed because you are not ____(fill in blank with
a race, gender, other social status)____ and therefore you are not worthy
of taking up that banner. On one hand some will ridicule you for bringing the
subject up at all while on the other you will be ridiculed because you should
have written or talked about it sooner. With some people there will be no
winning.

Another thing will be when you share something and someone
else will tell you they are already doing it or has previously done it. These
trolls will claim your idea is not new and therefore people shouldn’t celebrate
your own personal innovation but rather condemn you for not arriving at that
idea earlier. They will not be content with your personal discovery or a new
idea but rather judgmental you didn’t come up with it sooner or that you are
just copying something already being done.

In addition to bullying, you have to watch out for the fake
teachers out there trying to put out the persona of perfection. If you follow
certain individuals or groups you might think you are inadequate or in no way
capable of teaching at the level they do. Every post, tweet or picture is the
model of the perfect classroom and the perfect lesson. It is easy to follow them
and feel like there are impossible standards to live up to. In many cases I
have looked at teacher’s content online and feel as though they are prefect in
every single aspect of teaching. It appears as though social media is being
used as a way to make others feel bad for not doing all the amazing things
other people are doing in their schools or classrooms.

Having said all of that, I still support social media use and
encourage teachers to use it as a way to connect themselves to the world.
Bullies, trolls and fakes are there but that is life. Ignore, block and move on. Also know they are clearly in the minority. Don’t ever be
afraid to stand up for what you believe in and write, tweet, post what you are
passionate about. Recognize everyone is at a different place in this wild journey
we call education and life. Some are further along than you and will potentially put you
down for it. Ignore them and think about those who are at the same place or a
different place and will be influenced by you sharing your work. As for the
“perfect” teachers out there, recognize it is not all true. Many teachers talk
themselves up in social media but also they are not completely honest or at
least not fully transparent. It is not popular to share real failures and days where we
had a horrible lesson or blew up on a kid. Bottom line, people are only sharing
the best of what they have to offer. There is nothing wrong with this but just
keep this in mind when reading about those so-called perfect lessons or
strategies. Realize it and just keep focusing on making yourself better one day
at a time.

Social media can be the key to unlocking great connections
for you and your students. However, just be aware of the trolls, bullies and
fakes out there. Recognize them and move on to create those meaningful connections
that will better you as a teacher and as a person.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

As a parent and a teacher I often reflect on how these two
roles intersect and are greatly influenced by each other. Lately I have been
thinking a great deal about failure and how we “use” it in school as well as
outside of school. I worry we might be, for lack of a better term, screwing up
a generation of kids due to the way we are using and not using failure as a
learning tool.

For starters, have we become overly obsessed with making
kids feel good about themselves and in doing so reducing our conversations to
dishonest and artificial? For example, when we give every kid a trophy or a
ribbon just for trying, are we watering down accomplishments and celebrating
kids’ inadequacies? While that may sound harsh, should we artificially be
building kids up and telling them they are good at something they are not? In
doing so do we run the risk of kids never developing coping skills to deal with
failure or a situation where they are not the “best”? By falsely telling a kid
they are good at something or being shielding them from failure, are we helping
them in the long term?

Along those same lines, are we actually letting kids fail?
Is there an environment in our houses and schools where kids can experience
failure? This does not have to be soul crushing or life altering failure, but
they need to fail at things. When a kid produces a poorly written piece of
writing do we give them an “F” is that is deserved or do we inflate it to
protect the student from the feeling of failure?If we are watching our kids learning to ride
their bikes do we run in and hold the seat before giving them a chance to fall
and get back up? If a kid fails, let them fail. Stand right next to them and
help move on but don’t shield them from the failure, they need it.

Another aspect of failure is the notion of celebrating
failure, which has become rather popular among teachers and parents alike.
However, I disagree with this idea to a point. If my kids fail at something, I
don’t celebrate it nor do I encourage them to fail. Celebrating failure is
telling kids failure is something to aspire to and places value on something we
shouldn’t value. Instead the focus should be on getting back up and trying
again. When our kids fall when we are teaching them to ride that bike, do we
celebrate the skinned knees and bruises? No, we pat them on the back and
encourage them to get back on that bike and keep trying. We celebrate their
ability to stick with it and finally succeed. Shifting the focus off the
failure and on to the “what now” is the key to making sure our students and
children have the skill set to face adversity and keep going.

When kids do fail it is ok for them to feel bad about it.
Failing should not be a positive experience and for those who have failed, they
know this to be true. I cannot think of a time in my life where I failed and
felt good about it. I hated it and it fueled to me to get better and avoid that
feeling. Kids need to feel that if they are to understand how to grow and learn
from those mistakes and overcome obstacles. Constantly protecting them from
those negative feelings will create a false sense of confidence which will
likely not serve them well in the long run.

If we are going to use failure in schools or in our homes,
we need to make sure we are doing it effectively. Simply shielding kids from
failure or giving them cake and ribbons when they do fail may not be the best
approach. Let’s create environments where kids are safe to take risks with the
potential for failure. Let them experience failure and not enjoy it but help
them use that feeling to get back up and move past it. It is only through
allowing kids to truly experience failure and let them learn from it that it
can truly have value.